


A Deer Caught In The Deadlights

by StariNights



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: First Kiss, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, The F Slur, and bill/stan, and really richie/ any of the losers because homeboy deserves all the love, graphic depictions of bullying, mainly reddie but you could make a case for mike/stan, this is just the "what if richie was taken instead of Bev?" thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:08:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27219163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StariNights/pseuds/StariNights
Summary: //“Rich!” he broke off from the group to run towards his friend, good arm reaching out to grab him. He could see blood dripping from his nose and he just hoped it wasn’t broken.“Eddie, wait!” Bill chased after him, followed closely by Stan then the rest of the losers.Richie smiled, arms opening to let Eddie into a hug. He didn’t even think twice before wrapping his arms around his neck and burying his face in his shoulder. He felt tears fall from his cheeks as the arms tightened around him.The door slammed shut just as Stan crossed the threshold, locking the rest of their friends out. He glanced behind him to see Stan and Bill trying to force the door back open.“Rich-”“Why’d ya leave me, Eds?”//
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 2
Kudos: 63





	A Deer Caught In The Deadlights

Richie couldn’t see, broken glasses laying two feet from his face. Bowers had chased him out of the arcade after he caught him playing a game of mortal kombat with his cousin, taunting him and creating one hella graphic image for what exactly he would do when he caught up to him.

He made good on those threats when he got Richie slammed to the sidewalk, rocks digging into his cheek. He tried pushing himself back up but Bowers just shoved his face into the ground. He tried to scream, insults flying like spit from his lips as he continued to try and fight back. 

Turns out, that’s a really good way to piss off a homophobic phsyco because by the time the punches stopped coming, he could hear his ears ringing and his nose was gushing blood. He forced himself up on his knees, biting down on his already bloodied lip in an effort not to cry.

He coughed, ribs aching at the violent spasms in his chest, then spat an ugly mixture of blood and mucus on the sidewalk. He sucked in a deep breath, willing the pain to stop as he wiped his mouth and forced himself to his feet. He swayed for a moment before he found his balance and kept himself up-right.

“God, what a fucking dick,” he muttered, voice hoarse. He was in too much pain to come up with some fun, snarky remark to cheer himself up.

After a moment of just standing and begging his ribs to stop throbbing, he started dragging his feet in the direction of home. At least, he was until he heard a voice call out behind him. 

“Richie? Shit man-” he turned his pounding head in the direction to the blonde haired blob with a voice- where the hell were his glasses?

“Conner?” he squinted at the figure, “What the hell are you doing here? You get off on watching your cousin beat up hot gamers?”

He could see the blurry fuck wince back before he spoke again. “Listen, I’m sorry okay? I didn’t know he would do that, an-and I panicked,” Richie blinked, trying not to look too excited at the prospect of an apology, “I just really liked hanging with you today and it- it freaked me out.”

Richie felt his face go warm, weirdly grateful for the blood that hid the pink in his cheeks. “Well, duh. I’m a fuckin blast. Don’t mean ya gotta sick your nutjob cousin on me for it,” he found himself cracking a smile when he heard Conner breathe out a laugh.

“Yeah, yeah that’s fair…” he trailed off for a second, “hey, why don’t I make it up to you? Maybe you’d want a balloon?”

Richie’s smile dropped like that, “wha-” he took a wobbly step back as a large, shiny red balloon floated from behind who he thought was Conner. 

“C’mon Richie-” his voice distorted itself, dropping to pitches no teenage boy could ever accomplish, “don’t ya wanna float? With me?” 

Another step back, “No, no you stay the fuck away-” he heard the crunch of plastic and glass under his shoe and he looked down to see the vague outline of his glasses when he lifted his foot. 

“Fuck-” he looked back up to see Conner right at his face. He could smell his rotting breath and burning flesh. The scream caught in his throat as boney hands grabbed his face in a tight grip.

“Float with me, fag-” 

Eddie wasn’t sure what he was doing as he stood outside the Tozier home. Well, he knew why he’d come but after what felt like an eternity of waiting for someone to answer, he was beginning to question why he stayed. 

He knew he needed to see Richie, make sure he was okay. After all, they were just chased by some fuckin’ murder clown, got into the first big fight with their friends, and since spent a week all on their own. 

Eddie sure wasn’t okay, but he needed to know that Rich was. 

After another minute of waiting Eddie huffed, banging his good fist against the door in frustration.

… and it opened. Just like that. 

He paused outside of the home, peering into the darkened hallway. He knew Richie’s parents weren’t around- they never were- and it didn’t seem like Rich was either. The house was completely silent, he couldn’t even hear the sound of an air conditioner or the music Rich liked to have on blast-

Where the fuck was he, and why was his front door open?

Eddie took a steadying breath before stepping inside, calling out for his friend with an unhelpfully shaky voice. “Richie? Hey- Hey Rich it’s me, Eddie,” he paused to listen for a reply before stepping farther into the house, heading for the stairs to Richie’s bedroom. He paused at the first step, “if this is some sorta joke I swear I’ll kill ya, Rich.”

Again, there was no answer so, with shaking hands and knees, he ascended the stairs and made his way to Richie’s room. 

He cracked open the door, barely peeking inside, “Rich…?”

He opened the door fully, only for his heart to catch in his throat. The walls were covered with missing person’s posters, all with the same boy on the front.

Richie Tozier was missing.

The Losers met up at Neibolt not half an hour later. They all threw their bikes down in the yard and rushed inside, Eddie leading the charge. Mike was next, bolt gun in hand.

“T-t-the well!” Bill pushed ahead, leading the rest of the losers through the house. Eddie felt himself shaking, broken arm pulled close to his chest as his eyes darted around the decrepit home.

He saw something out of the corner of his eye- someone with messy black curls and a pair of broken glasses. 

“Rich!” he broke off from the group to run towards his friend, good arm reaching out to grab him. He could see blood dripping from his nose and he just hoped it wasn’t broken.

“Eddie, wait!” Bill chased after him, followed closely by Stan then the rest of the losers. 

Richie smiled, arms opening to let Eddie into a hug. He didn’t even think twice before wrapping his arms around his neck and burying his face in his shoulder. He felt tears fall from his cheeks as the arms tightened around him. 

The door slammed shut just as Stan crossed the threshold, locking the rest of their friends out. He glanced behind him to see Stan and Bill trying to force the door back open.

“Rich-”

“Why’d ya leave me, Eds?”

He turned back to see ‘Richie’ looking at him with a blank expression. Eddie’s heart stopped for a beat as he shoved away from him. ‘Richie’ just stood there, expression falling into something akin to pain, though there was something horribly off about it.

“E-e-eddie-” He felt Bill’s hand on his shoulder, but his eyes were glued to Richie. 

“Why’d ya hafta leave me alone, Eds?” he asked again, blood beginning to drip from his hairline.

“I-I didn’t-” he choked back tears as his friend’s wounds became worse by the second. Bill tried to pull him back a bit, but his feet were firmly planted to the floor, unable to remove his eyes from the sight in front of him.

“Ya’ did though, Spaghetti. Ya’ left me all on my lonesome and look what happened,” ‘Richie staggered back, gesturing to the bruising around his eye and the blood flowing steadily from the gash on his forehead. Eddie choked, tears falling from his eyes.

“I-I-I-” he couldn’t even get one word out, stuttering and choking on his own voice.

‘Richie’ seemed to find that amusing, “Spit it out Bill~” he laughed at himself before choking on something and doubling over. When he lifted his head, blood dripped from his partially open mouth.

“I’m gonna die, Eddie,” he took a step forward and Eddie didn’t move. He could vaguely register Bill trying to tug him away and Stan banging on the door, but his eyes remained glued to the lifeless brown ones in front of him. 

He smiled, but it wasn’t Richie’s Smile. It wasn’t that toothy, lopsided grin that came after a shitty joke, and it wasn’t even the soft, warm one that he gave Eddie when it was just the two of them. It was hollow, fake, and bloody.

“I am going to die, all alone..” he lifted one boney hand and caressed his cheek lightly, leaving a trail of dirt and blood behind, “and it's all your fault.” 

Eddie choked back a sob as Bill jerked him back. He finally allowed himself to be pulled away as ‘Richie’ laughed, falling back onto the floor with a bloody grin.

“Oh my God,you’re fucking useless! Useless, weak, pathetic-”

Finally, Stan’s door busted open and Bill pulled Eddie through. He was openly sobbing at this point as ‘Richie’s’ voice followed him.

“You let me die, Eddie! All alone, you useless fucking asshole!”

Eddie dropped to his knees, fumbling for his inhaler. He couldn’t breathe, could barely even see through his tears. There was a hand on his shoulder and he looked up to see the blurry outline of Bill before dropping his eyes again.

“It was-wasn’t real, Eddie,” he sounded like he was crying as well, hand shaking on Eddie’s shoulder, “i-it wasn’t him, h-h-he would-would ne-never say th-th-that-”

He choked back a sob as he brought the inhaler to his mouth and took a deep breath. Bill was still speaking.

“I-i-it wasn’t him, Eddie. W-w-we can st-st-still find him!” He tried to pull Eddie to his feet, but the boy was frozen. 

“What if we’re too late?” he whispered, “what if he’s gone and-and it’s all our fault?”

“He’s not gone, Eds,” this time it was Bev who spoke up, dropping down beside him to wrap her arms around his shoulders, “He’s prolly just sittin’ around down that well, telling that fuckin’ clown exactly how he fucked It's mom."

He huffed out a laugh through his tears as Stan dropped down beside her, hand on his shoulder. "We're gonna get him back. We-we gotta get him back" 

Eddie could see tears welling up in Stan's eyes. He almost laughed, Stan always said he hated Rich, always talked about how he wished he would just go away-

He sniffed as Mike offered him his arm, "c'mon, let's go get our Trashmouth back."

Eddie set his jaw and nodded sharply, letting Mike pull him up by his good arm. He looked around to see the rest of the Losers looking at him with the same determined eyes as he had, tears dry on their cheeks. They seemed to be waiting for him to continue. He puffed up his chest and set his shoulders. 

"Let's go"

The Losers mirrored his stance before following him through the house. He stayed in the lead right up until they reached the well, forcing his eyes to stay ahead of him despite the boy with the mop of black hair and blood-soaked shirt that kept showing up in his peripherals. 

He stepped up to the well, leaning over to look down into the dark depths that it held. He gulped and stepped back, letting Mike and Ben take over as they tied the rope to the sturdiest looking pole they could find. Bill was the first one down, barely getting his footing before Eddie followed. Next was Bev, then Stan, then Ben, and finally-

A loud thump. “Mike!” Eddie jerked around to see Bill at the edge of the hole, craning his neck up to see the top, “Mike, are you okay?”

There was silence for a moment before a face peered into the well. It wasn’t Mike.

“No, no no no-” Bowers started to jerk the rope up, leaving them stranded, “no no get the rope!”

Obviously, his screams helped no one as the rope was gone before anyone could get their hands on it. “Shit, Mike!” 

Bill hung out the hole, trying to somehow see what was going on as Ben shouted for Mike again. Eddie could feel Stan’s breathing picking up speed as he screamed, “leave him alone!” 

They all clamored for purchase at the edge, Bill almost falling out when he tries to climb up. Eddie had to pull him away, “With what, asshole? How are you gonna get up?”

He didn’t get a chance to answer before someone was falling down the hole, Henry’s screams echoed all the way down. They all looked up to see Mike, breathing labored as he stood at the edge of the well. 

Eddie heaved a sigh of relief as Bev laughed incredulously. “Holy shit Mike, you’re a badass!”

Mike gave her a breathless smile before throwing the rope back down and climbing down to meet them. Bill pulled him into the hole, holding onto his arms in a desperate attempt to assure himself that Mike was, in fact, alive and well. 

Eddie clasped him on the back as he made his way to the back of the group, “oh thank God-”

“Where’s Stan?” 

The grouped paused, watching Mike as his eyes scanned the tunnel behind them. Eddie felt his heart hammering in his chest as the silence stretched on longer than it should have.

“Wow, lost another friend huh?” they all whirled around to see “Richie sat on the edge of the tunnel, long legs dangling off the side, “you guys are really shit at this, huh?” 

Bill puffed up his chest, “y-y-you aren’t real-” he started, but Not-Richie cut him off.

“I was real enough for your mom,” he grinned, blood flowing from his lips. Eddie gagged, turning his head into Mike’s shoulder. Not-Richie seemed pleased as he turned around to face the hole.

“You guys really suck, ya know? Leaving me, then Mike, then Stan. Who’s next? Who are you guys willing to sacrifice now?” His voice was hollow, very much Not Richie’s voice, but neither Bill or Eddie could bring themselves to look away. 

Bev pulled at Eddie’s good arm as Ben tried to pull Bill along. “Forget it, its not real! We have to find Stan before-”

‘Richie’s’ head whipped around, a bone chilling crack echoing through the tunnel. “Before what, Bev? Before It gets him? Before he dies, all alone and afraid? Just like me?”

Beverly finally yanked Eddie’s arm hard enough that he finally broke eye contact and turned around, allowing himself to be pulled out of the tunnel along with Bill, who was still staring at the broken-necked ‘Richie’. 

Bill finally snapped back to reality as they rounded a corner, Not-Richie’s cackling voice following them in echoes. 

“Better hurry before good ole Staniel dies all alone!!”

They all bolted down the tunnel, feet splashing in what had to be the grossest water known to man. Oddly enough, Eddie couldn’t bring himself to care. Eddie was screaming for Stan until his voice went hoarse, flashlight bouncing off each and every wall and corner until finally.

“Stan!” Bev’s voice cut through the air, along with the screech on some demon that had attached itself to Stan’s face. Beverly screamed before chucking her flashlight at it. It shrieked, popping off Stan’s face as the boy on the ground gasped for air. The monster, a woman Eddie recognized from that weird painting in Stan’s dad’s office, slunk back in the shadows. Stan pushed himself up on his elbows, gasping for breath.

“Stan!” Mike was the first one to reach him, dropping down to his knees and helping the other boy sit up. Stan was hysterical, repeating over and over how they left him, how he thought he was going to die - Fuck, how could they have left him??

Mike pulled him into a hug, strong arms wrapped around his shoulders as he held him close to his chest. Stan gripped the back of Mike’s shirt like a life-line, sobbing openly as the rest of the losers crowded around him.

All except Eddie, who was busy staring down a tunnel with his flashlight hanging by his side. 

There, not even 15 feet ahead, was It’s lair. Piles of things, objects that belonged to the children that came before them, almost reached the ceiling of the cave. Bodies floated around it, decrepit bodies from this decade and the last. Eddie took a step forward, tears springing to the corners of his eyes. 

“Eddie?” Bill was the first one to recover, Stepping away from the group hug to meet Eddie by the tunnel. After a moment, the rest of the Losers followed suit, Stan still leaning heavily into Mike’s side.

They stared for a moment, just at the sheer number of bodies that hung lifeless in the air, at least until Stan spotted a body that was a little too familiar. 

“Richie!” He pushed off from Mike’s side to run towards the lowest hanging body. Eddie made a strangled noise before running after him, the rest of his friends close behind. 

Stan stood under Richie, the real Richie, trying to jump high enough to grab him by the ankle. Mike picked him up, giving him the boost he needed to hook a finger around his stupid purple chucks and pull him down. Eddie shoved through, pushing Stan out of his way as he reached for Richie. 

“Richie! Hey, hey Rich-” he grabbed him by the face and shook, “asshole, wake up. Wake the fuck up! Why isn’t he waking up?” 

He glanced around to his friends, all of which seemed at a loss for words. He made a noise of frustration before turning back to Richie again. He jerked him closer, pressing his forehead to Richie’s. “C’mon you fucking dickwad, wake up! Wake… Wake up”

He could feel tears falling from his eyes as he looked back up to see those milky white eyes staring blankly ahead. He sniffed, biting down on his bottom lip before he did what he considered both the bravest and most desperate thing he’d ever done in his life. 

He surged forward, pressing his lips to Richie’s in a bruising kiss. 

His ears were ringing and his hands were shaking, but he remained steadfast. Screwing his eyes closed and pressing closer to Him. 

After a few moments, a few agonizingly painful moments, Eddie felt the slightest press back against his lips, then there were hands cupping his cheeks and he gasped. 

He pulled back to see half lidded brown eyes staring at him. Richie smiled, uneven and toothy. The real Richie smile. 

“Fuck- that was pretty gay Eds,” his voice was hoarse but he was smiling and Eddie couldn’t help but smile back.

“Fuck you, Trashmouth,” 

He heard Beverly laugh before dragging them both in for a hug. Her arms wrapped around their shoulders as she buried her face into Richie’s neck. He laughed again, “Woah woah woah, chill out! There’s enough of me to go around!” 

“Beep Beep, Rich,” Stan huffed out a laugh before joining in on the hug. Then there was Mike, then Ben, and finally Bill. 

They all knew this wasn’t over yet but, as Richie’s hand found Eddie’s in the midst of the group hug, he couldn’t help but feel like it was all going to turn out fine. 

Now they just had to kill an evil clown- simple enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Aha! My first fic for this fandom. Yeet and skeet ig.
> 
> Anywho, art requests are open on my own personal hell, the-gay-trashmouth @ tumblr.com


End file.
